It has been estimated that 40% of the food in the United States gets wasted, and a sizable portion of that is canned food that went beyond the expiration date. This is a shame because believe it or not, most canned food will last indefinitely.

That’s right, expiration dates for canned food are a myth. Don’t believe me? Then check out this article by Knowledge Weighs Nothing. It turns out that as long as the can was stored at a moderate temperature and isn’t dented, bulging, or rusty, the food inside is good even if it’s decades old.

The author writes, “Eagerly, you search through your food pantry to find a tasty treat. Fumbling with an assortment of packaged foods, you come across a can of beans. While your mouth waters with the promise of baked bean goodness, your eyes stumble across a familiar sight the sell-by-date. Checking the wall calendar, you notice the printed date was months ago.” Follow the link below to keep reading.